Method and apparatus for localization of streaming sources in hearing assistance system

Abstract

A hearing assistance system streams audio signals from one or more streaming sources to a hearing aid set and enhances the audio signals such that the output sounds transmitted to the hearing aid wearer include a spatialization effect allowing for localization of each of the one more streaming sources. The system determines the position of the hearing aid set relative to each streaming source in real time and introduces the spatialization effect for that streaming source dynamically based on the determined position, such that the hearing aid wearer can experience a natural feeing of the acoustic environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for operating a set of hearing assistance devices configured to be worn by a wearer having a left ear and a right ear, the method comprising:
 receiving an audio signal from a streaming source; 
 producing a left output sound for transmission to the left ear and a right output sound for transmission to the right ear using the received signal, including:
 determining a position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source; 
 determining one or more differences between the left output sound and the right output sound using the wearer's head-related transfer functions and the position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source, the one or more differences providing for a spatialization effect allowing the wearer to locate the streaming source; 
 implementing the wearer's head-related transfer functions using head-related impulse responses; and 
 introducing the one or more differences to at least one of the left output sound and the right output sound; and 
 
 transmitting the left output sound to the left ear and the right output sound to the right ear using the set of hearing assistance devices. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source comprises determining the position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source in real time. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein determining the position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source comprises determining the position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source using one or more positioning sensors in the set of hearing assistance devices. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein determining the position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source comprises determining a distance between the set of hearing assistance devices and the streaming source. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3 , wherein determining the position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source comprises determining an orientation of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 3 , wherein determining the position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source comprises determining the position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source using one or more position sensors in the streaming device. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the one or more differences between the left output sound and the right output sound comprises determining a time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the one or more differences between the left output sound and the right output sound comprises determining a level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein determining the one or more differences between the left output sound and the right output sound comprises determining a time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound and the level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound. 
     
     
       10. A system for transmitting sounds to a user having a left ear and a right ear by using a streaming device configured to produce and stream an audio signal, the system comprising:
 a set of left and right hearing assistance devices configured to receive the streamed audio signal via a wireless link, process the streamed audio signal to produce a left output sound and a right output sound, and transmit the left output sound to the left ear and the right output sound to the right ear; 
 a positioning system configured to determine the position of the set of left and right hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source; and 
 a spatialization processor configured to determine one or more differences between the left output sound and the right output sound using the wearer's head-related transfer functions and the position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source and introduce the one or more differences to at least one of the left output sound and the right output sound, the one or more differences providing for a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source, the wearer's head-related transfer functions implemented using head-related impulse responses. 
 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein the set of left and right hearing assistance devices comprises at least a portion of the positioning system. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the set of left and right hearing assistance devices comprises a positioning sensor configured to sense a distance between the set of hearing assistance devices and the streaming source. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the set of left and right hearing assistance devices comprises a positioning sensor configured to sense an orientation of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the positioning sensor is configured to sense the orientation of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source and a distance between the set of hearing assistance devices and the streaming source. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the set of left and right hearing assistance devices comprises the spatialization processor. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the spatialization processor is further configured to add reverberation to the audio signal. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the positioning system is configured to determine the position of the set of left and right hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source in real time. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the set of left and right hearing assistance devices comprises a set of hearing aids. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the set of left and right hearing assistance devices comprises a set of headphones or a set of ear buds. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the position of the set of hearing assistance devices relative to the streaming source comprises determining a distance between the set of hearing assistance devices and the streaming source.